hi there,

odd enough but I havent been to Barcelona yet.

Im going there in the middle of october, so I would be happy to receive some infos on :

- budget hotels, apts, - accomondation
- safety of town - advises , what to avoid etc.
- eateries
- must see's

Thanks !

Hi there B4S:
You may wish to stay in the resort of Sitges where there'll be lots of reasonably cumfy hotels at budget prices in Oct. Good nite life too & frequent commuter trains into the metropolis -about 30 mins. Should you prefer to stay in the Catalan capital itself then you can either book over the net or go on spec. I got a good price for an en-suite from Octopus for July. You may even wish to try the Traditional Latio Pension. And there are some fine examples in Barcelona -most are actually kept hygenic and in the Autumn the heat isn't as intense. Regarding safety, Barcelona is as safe as Las Palmas, Buenos Aires, Rio or Milan. Careful in el bario chino lots of prostitutes, and druggies so walk light as they say. and at the port end of the Ramblas -especially those ugly women who plant a flower in your hand and them start waffling at you. The Shoe-shiners are also dodgy. You will no-doubt end up in La Placa Real. excellent place for a couple of beers but again leave your passport and credit cards at the hotel.regarding eateries there are lots of restaurantes chinos, but for traditional Catalan and Spanish restaurants I think you are better off in Sitges:lots in a compact area. If you have time to travel around Catalonia then Montserrat -the monastry, Manresa -a typical Catalan town, Andorra -the ancient tax free haven, Figures for the Dali Museum and Perpignon in French Catalonia. An open top bus tour will show you all of Barcelonas famous Gaudiasm and Modernism. Anyway as my cordial catalan friends may say <Barcelona Si m'agrada molt!>
PS don't forget to visit the Nou Camp to see the mighty F.C.Barcelona leap into action.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trigthecig,

There are many Mushroom fesys this time of year in rural towns. often take place on Sundays lots of mushroom(and wine) tasting, the town band etc. Try Sant Celoni

Barcelona and Madrid are both great cities. I feel very lucky to have spent a lot of time in Spain. Some other cities to visit: Salamanca, near Portugual, has beautiful architecture. The Basque country, too. San Sebastian is possibly the most beautiful city in the region, but Bilbao is worth visiting for the Guggenheim museum and old town, and the little seaside village of Hondarabbia. Outside Madrid are towns like Segovia, Toledo, and Avila, Toledo is probably the most famous. And Andalucia in the south, Grenada for the Alhambra, and Cordoba is very charming. Seville is very touristic but the old quarter is fantastic and you have to visit the bull ring for a tour!
The Lonely Planet guide books are always an excellent source of info and they tend to be honest, too—some guidebooks manage to find charm everywhere, but LP tells it like it is, so you don't waste time or money. As for taking the train, I found buses to actually be better. They are quite cheap and reasonably comfortable. A friend and I took the bus from Madrid to Grenada, and then travelled by bus all over Andalucia, and it was fine.
Missed the Picasso museum in Barcelona! I spent too much time in the old town...
more info check out here
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CordobaYes, Spain is really a beautiful country in the world to visit. Excellent and quiet beaches can be found near Malaga, Huelva and Almer in the south as well as near the coasts of La Manga, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and Euskadi. If you do enjoy extremely developed resort towns, there are plenty of crowded beaches on the Costa de la Luz and the Costa del Sol. Interesting is the harbour of Almerimar with cosy bars, just south of El Ejido (Almeria).

Very unique architecture can be found in Cordoba, Salamanca, Granada, Toledo, Madrid... The visionary architecture of Antoni Gaud?and the Picasso museum are in Barcelona while Madrid is home to Spain top three art museums.

Countryside in Spain
If you would rather get some fresh air, Spain is filled with opportunities to visit wildlife parks as well as trekking. The Pyrenees, especially around the Aragon area, are the best areas for trekking. Andalusia has its Sierra Nevada mountain chain with luxurious skiing resorts near Granada. Ski-sports are possible from November up to May. Between Guadix and Bazaar (famous horse market) one can find cave-dwellings, cave hotels, and beautiful natural parks. North and between these towns still are unexplored desert sceneries, with hamlets not even found on maps! The highway infrastructure in this "wild" part of Andalucia is excellent.
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I have just also come from a wonderful trip to Spain for almost two months. Via traveling all over Spain, I have found that it is really a splendid country in the world. Madrid is a venerable city I have seen and the Picasso museum in Barcelona is in the heart of the old city on the Carrier Moncada and since its recent expansion now sprawls over a row of five Gothic palaces once – in late medieval times – home to Barcelona’s aristocrats. I have spent several days in Tenerife Tarragona and we have cooling dips in the sea, also there are so much beautiful sandy beaches. In one word I love the trip in Spain very much. If anyone wants to travel abroad, I would recommend you to Spain and the two sites have helped me before I made the trips. They are costa brava hotel and menorca .

Spain is a spectacular and diverse country. My colleagues and I have made several times trip abroad and we unanimous deem that Spain is the most country we have been to. We not only enjoy its bullfights, flamenco dancers and crowded beaches, but also admire its social culture. Spanish people are very open-hearted and communicative. You won't have any problems to get to know someone, especially in the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona. If you want to go to Spain be on a tour, the sites costa brava holidays and ibiza beach may help you a lot.

A Spain travel can be enjoyable any time of year. This beautiful country also offers diverse activities and attractions in each city you decide to visit and all the year long! Spain is an easy country to travel, with an excellent accommodation offer. Airlines and affordable fares have turned Spain into a beach resort for Europeans. Start planning your Spain travel now: visit our cities, coasts and islands guides, reserve your hotel or rent one of the beautiful self catering villas, car hire in Tenerife .

I've been living in Barcelona Catalonia now for 18 years and can thoroughly recomend it to anyone. There's so much to see in Barcelona and a week would do the trick. If you ara a Gaudi lover you can see his beautiful buildings and parks like The Parc Güell, La Pedrera and La Casa Battlò. Fantastic Food is into the bargain, too!

Everyone seems to be talking about Spain in general… strange when there is so much to say about Barcelona itself! It’s a beautiful city, packed full of art and culture.
For something a bit off the beaten path, head to the Parc de Collserola – beyond the touristy amusement park and church near Mount Tibidabo, there are miles of beautiful scenery and rivers, peaks and wooded valleys.
Also, there’s Monserrat – an amazing monastery in the mountains which is perfect for a day trip.
There’s plenty of budget accommodation in the city – just look for a Barcelona hostel in the area you want to stay. I’d advise booking though, especially in summer, as the best places fill up fast.
For some great recommendations about what to do and where to go, ask the hostel staff – they will live in the area and have all the best recommendations away from the more touristy hotspots, from bars to museums!